JT Woodruff - lead vocals, guitars
Micah Carli - lead guitar, backing vocals
Matt Ridenour - bass, backing vocals
Eron Bucciarelli - drums
Casey Calvert (deceased) - guitars, vocals
Back in 2001, down in the southern part of Ohio an emo rock band formed. At first calling themselves A Day in the Life they released one EP. After the EP they went through a huge line-up
change and changed their name to what they are called now, Hawthorne Heights. The current line-up was disrupted late in 2007
when long time member and friend pasted on. Through the loss of their dear friend and a long law suit the band faced the chance
that their newest release would not see the light of day. Through hard work, dedication, and the law suit being settled the
band weather it all and released their third album. Fragile Future hit stores
back in August of ’08. It begins with “The Business of Paper Stars” begins the album with a blast of music
beginning with drums then guitars. It's great starting song to get the blood pumping. When they do add in the vocals to the
fast paced hard rock beat they are very melodic and smooth. There a few calming moments but about 2 and a half minutes and
a few verses in, the track switches gears, adds in some keys/piano, and slowly ends with a strong vocal set. “Rescue
Me” the lead single spins off second with an upbeat Warp Tour sound. The smooth vocals lead the track into great depths
while the guitars sing a sweet sound and the drums pour the rest of the spice right on top. The guitar solo is not very intense,
but it does do the trick. The track, like the first, goes into a calming moment with group vocals that are well orchestrated.
“Until the Judgment Day” spices itself up a bit with some effects sprinkled throughout the track. It also displays
good backing vocals that are a hint deeper than the lead to distinguish the segments of the song. “Somewhere in Between”
ends the first third of the album. The song is lead by the vocals with the drums following close to help keep the right direction.
“Sugar in the Engine” is one of three tracks that grabbed my attention just by the title. The longest song off
the album begins with a short acoustic intro until the electric kicks up the aggression with the addition of powerful drums.
It does tapper bag off with smooth vocals and well written lyrics. It has a darker feel to it which grabs you and makes you
pay close attention. “Desperation” slaps you straight in the face with a true punk sound and fun antics flying
all over the place. The song should be a fan favorite and one that should make its way into the set list from time to time.
“Four Becomes One” is defiantly a track reaching out to the passing of a family member. You can tell that this
track comes from the heart and will be on display for everyone at every show. Fans that have been with them from the start
will truly understand where they were coming from. The passing of their dear friend will always be with them and they will
always remember the great times they had. They also did a great job mixing in some acoustic guitars to make the vocals and
lyrics become the center and focal point of the track. “321” kicks the album back into high gear. The fun oozes
from this track with raging guitars, steady drums and great vocals. The lyrics are very catchy and should be easy to follow
and sing a long with. “DISASTER” is the second track that caught my eye just by the title. The three minute track
really didn’t live up to the hype that I gave it myself; instead it was completely different with a mostly slow progress
through the song. They did kick up the chorus a notch with leaving the verses fairly slow. “Let Go of Everything You
Know” is another fun song with serious parts. With lyrics like: “You won’t be the last girl or the first,
to tell me I should go straight to hell,” its hard to ignore the song. The last track that caught my eye by the title
is “Corp of Corpses.” The track is an upbeat track that has a cool sound and lyrics that you have to read. It
like “Disaster” didn’t give me what I expected, but it’s still a strong track. The last track on the
album is “Come Back Home.” They reprised a portion of the song “This Is Who We Are.” It offers a nice ending to a well put together album. its an upbeat track with a steady drum
play, raging guitars and easy to listen to vocals. Overall the album is very good. They did most of the stuff by themselves.
The added effects were great, the pace of the album is perfect, and sound is very enjoyable. The album is really well written
and would have been a shame if it never seen the shelves. The bands fans will be very pleased with the outcome of this latest
release.
Rating: 8 out of 10
My favorite tracks:
Track List:
1.
The Business of Paper Stars
2.
Rescue Me
3.
Until the Judgment Day
4.
Somewhere in Between
5.
Sugar in the Engine
6.
Desperation
7.
Four Become One
8.
321
9.
Disaster
10. Let Go of Everything You Know
11. Corps of Corpses
12. Come Back Home (Reprised)
Website (s): www.hawthorneheights.com
